Reviews Film / The Artist

A Love Letter to Silent Film

As a film student, I probably have a bit of a different view of this film in addition to the fact that when I saw the film there was a Q&A with one of the actors afterwards.

I see this film as a love letter to silent film. They weren't doing it to get awards or make a lot of money. They didn't even think it would get that popular. It was done out of their love of silent film and it's era. Yes, this story has been done before, but what story hasn't? I found it very interesting that they took the risk to make a largely silent film in this era. It was simple,but you could tell they put their hearts into it. They wanted to make a tribute to the silent film era and they did, a tribute that a lot of people happened to love and enjoy. You can't really judge this film on the same level as most other films because it's not like most films. It doesn't have dialogue or intricate visual effects. It's simply a film about the silent era and how the transition from silent to sound affected a lot of actors of the time, many of which were unable to make the transition for a number of reasons.

I happened to greatly enjoy this film, even if a lot of others do not. It wasn't made for a gimmick or to get recognition or a lot of money. It was made as a tribute, a love letter to a bygone era that has largely been forgotten by a lot of the viewing public. This won't start some sort of revival of silent films or anything,but if it sparks a newfound interest in the silent era in even one person, I think the filmakers did their job.